Former DPP accuses OZschwitz poLice of collusion with Catholic Church

Former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nick Cowdery has accused the NSW Police Force of being "party ... to a Catholic Church conspiracy to thwart the criminal justice process".

The church's "blind reporting" of child sex allegations to police, with victims' details withheld, allowed church representatives to escape prosecution for concealing serious crimes "because it was colluded in by the Police Force", Mr Cowdery said in response to the Police Integrity Commission's Operation Protea report released on Friday.

"It was the selective disclosure of information about crime that prevented the Police Force (with its agreement), from investigating and prosecuting crime," he said.

"Whether or not it served some other claimed purpose, it was a conspiracy to thwart the criminal justice process, and the Police Force was a party to it.